In a first, EU bans Russian coal imports, targets Putin’s daughters as fresh sanctions pass

The European Union (EU) on Thursday approved a fifth wave of sanctions against Russia, including a ban on coal imports and closing its ports to Russian ships. This is the first time the bloc has targeted the energy sector of Russia, on which they are heavily dependent.

The sanctions will also ban all transactions with four Russian banks, including VTB – the second-largest lender in the country. Following in the footsteps of the US, the bloc has extended the measures against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two adult daughters – Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova – in its updated list of individuals facing a travel ban and an assets freeze.

According to a report by The Associated Press, the EU has already begun work to put an embargo on Russian oil imports next, thereby further crippling the country’s trade.

The EU was under pressure from the US and Ukraine to adopt more sanctions against Putin’s side in the aftermath of the alleged executions of at least 20 civilians in Ukrainian town of Bucha last week.

The US imposed new sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, targeting Putin’s daughters and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov’s wife and daughter, among other elites. The measures also include banning any American from investing in Russia, including via mergers or venture capital.

Besides the UK and the EU, Britain and Japan have imposed new sanctions against Russia. While Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishido announced banning Russian coal imports, the UK adopted measures against Putin’s daughters – similar to the US and the EU.

Earlier today European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen took to Twitter to say that she is en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, along with bloc’s diplomatic chief Josep Borrell Fontelles. The duo will be meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The development comes close on the heels of a Russian rocket strike at a train station in east Ukraine that caused the death of over 30 people and injured 100 others. The state railway company told Reuters that two Russian rockets had struck a station in the city of Kramatorsk that is used for evacuation of civilians from regions under shelling by Russian troops.

As per latest updates, Russian defence ministry has rubbished the allegations by Kyiv and have called them “absolutely untrue”.